Coulter-Nile's 92 highest for No. 8 batsman in WC

Nottingham, June 6 (IANS) Australian seamer Nathan Coulter-Nile on Thursday made the highest score by a number eight batsman at the World Cup after he smashed a career best 60-ball 92 to help his side post 288 against the West Indies at Nottingham.Coulter-Nile, who had never scored over 64 in any form of cricket and only has five half-centuries to his name in first-class and List A cricket combined, unleashed a devastating knock after the Aussies were reduced to 38/4 by the Caribbean fast bowlers.Along with Steve Smith, who led the remarkable fightback with a 103-ball 73, Coulter-Nile belted four sixes and eight fours in a dazzling counter-attacking knock.It was the highest ever score by an Australian batting at No. 8 or lower in an ODI and he finished just four runs short of breaking the all-time record set by Chris Woakes who smashed un unbeaten 95 against Sri Lanka in 2016.Joining Smith with the team reeling at 147/6 in the 31st over, Coulter-Nile added 102 runs with the former skipper to save Australia the blushes.
--IANS dm/arm